Spool Welding Robot SWR

Safety

The Spool Welding Robot meets all the safety requirements of ISO15066; therefore, the installation of a housing or safety curtains is not required.

Ratio of reach

Compared to industrial spool welding robots, the SWR has the largest ratio of reach to footprint. E. g. your shop’s footprint is limited to 2,23 m². In that case, the SWR still has a range of 4.5 m (radial) for a maximum pipe diameter of approx.1.5 m (depending on the positioner configuration).

Ergonomics

The SWR improves the ergonomics of pipe welders. It brings the welder out of rigid position while welding and takes over the weave motion. It strains off the welder‘s back and shoulder joints.

Data logging and reporting

NovData logging software allows analysis and reporting of your weld data. All welding data are stored and available for you. These data are for example heat input, positioner speed, wire feed speed, etc.

Monitoring

Each weld is stored by the NovEyeä monitoring system. That allows your employees to analyze and improve their process for the next welds.

Seam tracking & distance control

The SWR assists the operator in torch to pipe distance by using a laser camera and closed loop control system. With this, the operator is automatically assisted in seam tracking and can primarily keep his focus on the weld.

Collaborative robots – cobots – are industrial installations which can safely collaborate with operators in a production line. They do not require knowledge about robot programming or special programming language. They are very easy to operate and can partly be moved by hand.

Universal Robots, Fanuc, Yaskawa and others are manufacturers for six-axis Cobots on the market today.  

With the base model of the SWR you can weld pipes of standard wall thickness, meaning Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 pipes. In case you need to weld pipes outside these spectra, tell us about your application and we are happy to help you. 

The main welding processes are: gas metal arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and metal-cored arc welding. On root we use modified short-circuit (STT, RMD, LSC). For modified waveform pulse processes we use solid wire and flux core or metal-cored wire for fill and cap passes.

With the Spool Welding Robot you can weld mild steel, stainless steel and special alloys. 

Yes, you can. You will get quality welds with almost any standard pipe positioner to work with the SWR.

Taking the industry standards into consideration, the SWR falls under mechanized welding – when the operator interacts with the machine.

The Spool Welding Robot has a 1,2 x 1,2 m footprint. With this small space the SWR does not block traffic in the shop floor and it does not interfere with shop cranes. Its arm and boom can be extended and retracted to accommodate activity on the production floor.

You can expect a significant amount of productivity and capacity from using the SWR. How much exactly, depends on your current welding process. Generally – and with that we look back to extensive research and user experience – we can say: One Spool Welding Robot with an operator is able to produce the same output like four welders using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and two welders using manual gas metal arc welding (GMAW).

Torch hand control goes over to the SWR and with that relieves welder’s fatigue. The Spool Welding Robot has a higher deposition rate, higher production and faster track speeds. Above that, it has the ability to run pre-programmed welds. 

Yes, it is easily possible. The Spool Welding Robot SWR fits in pipe fabrication shops very easily because its height does not interfere with overhead cranes. And if you want shop traffic to pass, just park the SWR away. 

Installation takes two days and only one more to commission according our conditions.

An operator can be trained within 2-3 days, then he/she can do operations and maintenance.  
The operator should already have some basic welding experience.

When you order the SWR, you will also get the NovData™ production monitoring software along with it. That software produces daily reports, which includes the following information: 

• Production time
  
• Welding time
• Pipe diameter 

You also get a time-stamped log file with: 

• Voltage
  
• Weld current
• Wire feed speed
• Travel speed
• As well as other relevant weld parameters and motion parameters for each weld
  
  

The Spool Welding Robot also has a built-in camera, mounted into its robotic arm. This allows the operator to get a clear view from inside the groove on the HMI in real time. And to have data for future analysis, NovEyeä records all videos.

The shielding gas used depends on the weld process and filler metal.

The Surface Tension Transfer (STT) is highly tolerant of pipe prep variations. The Spool Welding Robot requires no more than 3mm hi-lo in pipes, even less. 

The SWR needs 3 phase power and a minimum of 5,5 bar compressed air. The required electrical power can be any of the standard voltages between 208V and 600V.

The Spool Welding Robot has built-in systems to monitor speed and torque. These ensure speed and forces within required levels at all times. 

The Spool Welding Robot is a robust machine. Therefore, only minimal maintenance is required. When you get operator training, maintenance training is also included. 

The Spool Welding Robot needs to be anchored to a minimum 15 cm concrete slab. With overhead cranes you can move it between previously installed base locations. 

The SWR can be used outside the pipe shop as long as it is protected from the elements. Basically, it is designed for indoor usage.

The weight of the Spool Welding Robot is approximately 1400 kg.